Similar in design and execution to other Civil War memorials in the north, this one is located in…read moreEast End Park. The park had been a military parade ground a century ago, making this an apt placement. Summarized from https://chs.org/finding_aides/ransom/132.htm... The memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1905. The original donor, Charles H. Pine (1845-1915) was present. At the age of 16, he served as a drummer in the 19th Connecticut Volunteers and served for three years. The memorial is 27 feet tall and features a soldier in greatcoat and cap, leaning on his upturned rifle. It could be said he is staring off into the distance at those who did not come home from the war. The inscriptions read... 1904 For The Dead A Tribute - For The Living A Memory - For Posterity An Emblem Of Loyalty To The Flag Of Their Country. On the north side... The Gift Of Charles B. Pine In honor of the patriotism and to perpetuate the memory of these 368 brave men who went forth from this town from 1861 to 1865 and periled their all that the nation might live this monument has been erected that all who come after them may be mindful of their deeds and fail not in the day of trial to emulate their example On the column, the battles where they fought... Petersburg * Antietam * Port Hudson * Cold Harbor There is parking along the street next to the park. [Review 1692 of 2024 - 96 in Connecticut - 22715 overall]

This simple and modest World War Two monument is located in the town green where Main Street (Route…read more44) intersects with Park Place (Route 8). The green is a busy place, with all sorts of other markers, monuments, and memorials everywhere. It's a 2-sided marker that on one side honors the 1,551 Winchester citizens that served in the Second World War. The other side honors the 39 from Winchester that were killed in the war The inscriptions read: Dedicated To Those Veterans of W W II Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Freedom In Memory Of The 1551 Men & Women From Winchester Who Served In W W II The statue was dedicated on May 29, 2000. The memorial is a lot smaller than some of the other WW II memorials I have seen. It's also a lot less flashy. It's probably exactly what most members of the Greatest Generation would have wanted.

On the town green where Bolton Center Road crosses Hebron Road lies a cluster of Veterans Monuments…read morededicated to the generations of Bolton's veterans. It's always powerful to see how a town honors its soldiers across the decades and centuries of history. The centerpiece of this Veterans Park is a three-paneled engraved stone with the names of soldiers that served in Americas late twentieth and early twenty-first century wars - WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, and Afghanistan/Iraq. There's also a lovely old plaque dedicated to the "Bolton Boys" of WW I, and another plaque for WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam. There's a flagpole, a historical marker honoring Rochambeau's army marching through town to aid George Washington's army, and another marker listing the historic sites in town. In its understated simplicity, this is a beautiful tribute to those who defended America across the centuries of history. Nice job, Bolton, CT !.

This monument was unveiled in 1888 and the infantryman on top faces south, hands on his upturned…read morerifle. He appears to be dressed in appropriate Civil War garb. Below him, the dedication reads "Suffield erects this memorial in honor of her citizen soldiers who died serving their country that the Union might be preserved. 1861-65." The East face of monument lists the 31 Suffield residents lost in the War Between the States. It also mentions Sharpsburg where the bloody 1862 Battle of Antietam was fought. The north face bears an intricate state of Connecticut seal and honors Fort Wagner in South Carolina. The west face displays crossed cannon representing the artillery and lists Andersonville, a town of Georgia where a large Confederate prisoner of war camp was built. The monument is located on a grass square to the south of Kent Memorial Library where there is parking. [Review 15195 overall, 697 of 2021, number 45 in Connecticut.]

Standing in the Town Green where Routes 159 and 168 cross stands a granite sculpture of a Union…read moresoldier. The soldier and the pedestal must be at least 20 feet tall. This memorial was dedicated way back in 1888. The soldier, as in so many of the Civil War memorials I have seen, is holding the barrel of his rifle while the rifle butt rests on the ground. The monument is dedicated to those from Suffield who died in the Civil War. Inscribed on the front panel of the pedestal are the words: SUFFIELD ERECTS THIS MEMORIAL IN HONOR OF HER CITIZEN SOLDIERS, WHO DIED SERVING THEIR COUNTRY, THAT THE UNION MIGHT BE PRESERVED. 1861 - 65. There is also an inscription In the stone border above the panels that reads: 1888 SHARPSBURG FT. WAGNER ANDERSONVILLE The memorial's inscriptions are becoming difficult to read, I guess this can be expected since it is 125 years old. There is also a civil war cannon standing on the Town Green in close proximity to the memorial.

This impressive monument to Manchester's Civil War veterans stands as a guardian to downtown, at…read morethe high profile intersection of Route 6 (Center Street) and Route 83 (Main Street). Dedicated in 1877, it depicts an 8' high bronze statue of a Union soldier standing on a granite base. The clean-shaven youngish looking soldier wears a cape, a long coat and a cap. He is holding the barrel of the rifle in both hands while the rifle's butt rests on the ground. On the front of the base are the Connecticut state seal and a shield with a US flag. An inscription reads: IN MEMORY OF THE SOLDIERS OF MANCHESTER, WHO DIED IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 1861 - 1865. DEDICATED SEPTEMBER 17, 1877 A small plaque in front of the monument reads: SOLDIERS MONUMENT Dedicated September 17, 1877 Re-dedicated June 4, 2005 In honor of those who served in the Civil War of America 1861 - 1865 The monument is in excellent condition in a nice little town green decorated by floral arrangements.

My eye and my Yelping seem to be drawn to Civil War monuments as I travel my way through New…read moreEngland. This one in the Granby Town Green is interesting for its brownstone and the fact that it was installed in 1868 which was even before the park where it stands. I noticed that the figure at the top not only is wearing his cloak over his shoulder (it's usually been in front), he stands with one knee slightly bent and looking slightly down and perhaps, contemplative. It's very expressive. The statue's base is in two pieces with the lower listing the battle names and pointing out, "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion. Erected July 4, 1868." Above, the upper piece lists the battles and names arranged by unit showing date of death. Along the lowest level, "They that sow in tears will reap in joy. Death is swallowed up in victory. Faithful unto death." [Review 18409 overall - 75 in Connecticut - 1931 of 2022.]

Quite the impressive monument!…read more It's located on the Granby Town Green at the intersection of Salmon Brook Street (U.S. 202) and East Granby Street (State Route 20). The monument consists of a full body statue of an old grizzled Civil War soldier standing atop a large four-sided stone base. There are inscriptions on the upper and lower halves of all four sides. Some of the things you will see are soldiers' names and their dates of death, the names of horrendous battles (Andersonville, Cold Harbor, Sharpsburg, Petersburg), and some awesome quotations - "Death is swallowed up in Victory", "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy", and "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more". The statue has quite a history -it was dedicated on July 4, 1868 with the following inscription: "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion". It was restored and rededicated in 2002. One of the restoration steps included rebuilding the soldier's musket, which had deteriorated and disintegrated away over the previous 136 years. I'm sure the old gent was grateful for that. It's a beautiful monument. Check out the expression on the guy's face. A very sad and weary look..............

I passed through Winchester a few years ago and missed this so on my next trip through Connecticut,…read morethis had to be a stop. This striking Civil War memorial blends Gothic architectural drama with deep civic pride. Its story spans decades of community effort, artistic vision, and historical reverence. The monument is a three-story Gothic-style tower built of locally quarried ashlar granite. Designed by Robert W. Hill of Waterbury, it features a square base with inward-sloping lower walls that straighten as they rise, crowned by crenellations. A circular tourelle projects from one corner of the third level, topped by a bronze figure of a Civil War soldier holding the colors - sculpted by George E. Bissell. The tower stands 44 feet tall and was originally intended to include an iron staircase, but a contractor dispute led to a temporary wooden one instead. Over time, additions included a square entrance arch, stone retaining walls, cannons, and a decorative fountain by Hartford sculptor Andrew Coppola in the 1970s. It is a challenge getting up the hill to the park but once here, you'll appreciate the tower and the view. [Review 1142 of 2025 - 130 in Connecticut - 24695 overall]

Magnificent and awe inspiring…read more Two days ago, I reviewed the incredible Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Arch in Hartford. It was spectacular!! Little did I imagine that 48 hours later, and just 26 miles away, I would see another mind blowing veteran's monument that defies belief. The Winchester Soldiers' Monument is set way up high on a hill in a small park on Crown Street in Winsted. The land it sits on was donated in 1888 by three local gents to establish some sort of Civil War memorial and park. And what a memorial it turned into! They built a three-story granite castle that's over 40 feet tall. And what sits atop the tower? Why an 8' tall bronze statue of a Civil War soldier wearing a jacket and a hat, with a sword on his belt, and holding a flag. The Monument was dedicated on September 11, 1890. Special trains ran out of Hartford to bring a crowd of 20,000 to be a part of what the Hartford Courant described as "Winsted's Glorious Day." The Memorial Park is used for town celebrations and Veterans and Memorial Day ceremonies. Picnics, concerts, plays, religious ceremonies, and weddings are held here. What's pretty cool is that the image of the monument is an essential component of the Winchester Town Seal and the badges of it's police force. When you stand up on the hill, with the statue behind you, you get the impression that the soldier is standing guard, on a never ending vigil to protect his town. This one will give you the chills............

Dedicated in 1920, this memorial is starting to show its age. The monument is a tarnished bronze…read moreplaque set inside a stone base. The top of the plaque is inscribed with the words: "Erected By The Citizens Of Windsor Connecticut In Honor Of Those Who Went From This Township To Fight In The World War For Humanity And Justice" There appears to be over 200 names of Windsor's WW I Veterans inscribed on the plaque. The bottom of the plaque is dedicated to Windsor's casualties from the war. An inscription reading "In Memory Of Those Who Gave Their Lives To This Great Cause" precedes the honor role of 12 names. The memorial can be found in a small park parallel to Broad Street (roughly between CVS and Nat Hayden's) in downtown Windsor.

In the back of Plainville's Veterans Memorial Park, there is an imposing figure. The giant pedestal…read morehe stands on guarantees that. The monument, as stated in the title, is in honor of those from Plainville who served in the Civil War. There is also a cannon behind him, presumably also from the Civil War as it's dated 1863. Luckily it's pointed at the post office and not the pedestal (and also filled in with concrete). There are two benches in front of this monument where you can relax, and there are other monuments to other wars located in the park.

In the Central Business District of Plainville you'll find a patch of green in the form of a plaza…read moreknown as Veteran's Memorial Park. This very imposing granite monument was dedicated way back in 1913. It stands 22 feet tall and represents a uniformed Union soldier carrying a flag or a banner. The bottom of the flagpole rests on the ground while its pointed top rises over his left soldier. A simple inscription reads "In Memory of the Defenders of the Flag 1861-65". The statue was originally located in Central Square near the Municipal Complex, but was relocated to Veterans Memorial Park in 1945. One cool thing I found while researching its history was that when the statue was dismantled for the move, the contractors found a stash of old coins and a list of the 1913 workers hidden between sections of the monument. I love the fact they these artifacts, were lovingly re-installed where they were placed 100 years ago. How sweet is that?